Bishop of London opens new school building at Raine's Foundation School

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From left to right:Gordon Clubb, Headmaster, Raine's Foundation School, Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, Father Brian Ralph, School Chaplain and Vicar of St Barnabas, Bethnal Green

Last week saw the reaching of a significant milestone for a Church of England school in East London.

The Bishop of London, Dr Richard Chartres, was there to mark the official opening of a brand new school building at Raine's Foundation School.

The £22m project was commissioned by Tower Hamlets Council and has taken just under two years to complete.

It includes an extension to the original Grade II listed Victorian school building and the addition of modern, flexible teaching space.

At the centre is a four storey day-lit teaching space providing places for individual study.

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A new wire mesh sculpture created by the English sculptor Nikki Taylor is based on a previous stone statue of two Raine's Foundation School children and symbolises the link between the old school and the new development.

The unveiling of the dedication stone and recital of the school prayer was followed by the consecration of the school chapel by the bishop and a grand tour of the new building.

Benedict Wallbank, Chair of Governors at Raine's Foundation, said: "We are delighted with our new building and feel it will be a major factor in enabling us to enhance the education and welfare of our current and future pupils.

"It was a great pleasure to be joined by Bishop Richard for the official opening of the building and the consecration of the Chapel, which sits at the heart of Raine's Foundation School."